11 Cheap Thrills Only Highly Intelligent People Find Enjoyable, According To Psychology
Average people find these thrills redundant or boring, where intelligent individuals use them to inspire.
Roman Samborskyi | Shutterstock Intelligent people are often perceived as individuals who don't take part in anything fun. Many believe these people spend their time with their face in a book, solving complex problems, or debating on important issues. But there are certain cheap thrills only high intelligent people find enjoyable, according to psychology, and they aren't what most would expect.
In fact, highly intellectual people find happiness and entertainment in small things that everyday normal people may find off-putting. Whether it's watching the latest reality television show or going into rabbit holes about celebrities, their quirks are part of who they are.
Here are 11 cheap thrills only highly intelligent people find enjoyable, according to psychology
1. Watching reality TV
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Filled with drama, questionable moments, and embarrassing conversations, reality television gives a humanizing glimpse into other people's lives. And while many consider watching these programs to be their guilty pleasure, it's one of the cheap thrills only highly intelligent people find enjoyable.
Reality TV is still considered to be a low form of entertainment that's unsophisticated. But according to Danielle J. Lindemann, sociology professor at Lehigh University, watching these shows provides deeper insight into ourselves and others.
"Reality TV involves real people ostensibly reacting to real-world situations, which allows us to put ourselves in the participants' shoes and see flashes of ourselves... There's usually someone you can identify with," Lindemann says. She adds that although we know these shows are heavily produced, "Viewers do not need to see these shows as pure mirrors of life in order to enjoy and connect with them."
In essence, reality TV reveals the truth about human nature — the good and the bad. Intelligent people, feeling drawn to the realistic nature of it all, are highly entertained as they make connections and observations from their own day-to-day lives.
2. Arguing with themselves
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People who talk to themselves may be perceived as insane, but it turns out that people who do this are actually highly intelligent. For a cheap thrill, intelligent people will talk to or argue with themselves. Because who better to practice debate and argumentation than with oneself?
Of course, being able to defend your beliefs and ideology doesn't make you intelligent; spending years developing and forming opinions can make an average person give logical reasonings. But being able to argue against those positions is what sets intelligent people apart.
They remain open-minded to the possibilities, and the ability to shift one perspective is truly a sign that someone has mastered the art of observation. As a study from the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology found, open-minded people are increasingly likely to have a higher IQ.
3. Creating a mess on purpose
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There are people who find fulfillment in keeping their lives organized, whether that means using a planner or making sure their home is tidy and clean. But for a cheap thrill, highly intelligent people find it enjoyable to make a mess on purpose. Whether their mind means to do it or not, they find inspiration in clutter.
A study published in Psychological Science found that although working in a tidy room encourages people to eat healthier and give to charity, working in a messy room helps encourage new ideas. An additional study from SAGE Open pointed out that these creative ideas are an indicator of intelligence.
If someone is left wondering if they are intelligent, they should ask themselves if they like being in a bit of a mess. They may find it a bit shocking that the answer is likely yes.
4. Playing with language
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A limited vocabulary doesn't necessarily mean that someone has low intelligence; in fact, using a complex vocabulary might have the opposite effect on others. A study from Applied Cognitive Psychology found that writers who use long words needlessly are viewed as less intelligent than those who stick to basic vocabulary.
Highly intelligent people really have a good time playing with words and language. Their creativity allows for endless possibilities and options, and even potential self-discovery. This may mean using wordplay, sarcasm, imagery, or puns to get their point across, showcasing just how intelligent they are.
5. Daydreaming about alternate realities
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Whether it's during a boring meeting or an awkward family gathering, people have used daydreaming to escape unwanted moments. And it's considered a cheap thrill only highly intelligent people find enjoyable.
Though daydreaming might not be something the average person does consistently, it's something that highly intelligent people do. As a study from Neuropsychologia determined, highly intelligent people are increasingly more likely to daydream. Along with this, highly intelligent people are creative, and their problem-solving skills and divergent ways of thinking allow them to explore scenarios beyond their current reality.
Their need to stifle their boredom and fuel their curiosity often causes highly intelligent people to explore different realities, making complex decisions all in the comfort of their own heads.
6. Listening to white noise
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According to the Sleep Foundation, white noise is a "a noise that contains all frequencies across the spectrum of audible sound in equal measure... Anecdotally, people often liken white noise to the static that comes from an untuned radio or television." Research from the Complementary Therapies in Medicine also found evidence that white noise can improve work performance, soothe crying infants, and help counteract symptoms of ADHD.
Most highly intelligent people can't help but be easily distracted. With millions of thoughts and creative ideas flowing, going to sleep can be a bit of a hassle. To combat this, these intelligent people thoroughly enjoy listening to white noise, as it impacts the amount of time adults spend in different sleep stages, according to a study in Psychophysiology.
7. People-watching
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There's no greater feeling for a highly intelligent person than allowing their mind to wander. While it may be a low-hanging fruit in terms of entertainment, it's one of the cheap thrills only highly intelligent people find enjoyable. And it may be linked to creativity.
According to research from the journal Intelligence, smarter people have more creativity. And this creativity often leads intelligent people to have enhanced imaginative capabilities, allowing them to create more complex hypothetical scenarios in their heads. Because of this, they get a kick out of people-watching and coming up with complex backgrounds for complete strangers.
Easily bored and stuck with a plethora of ideas, highly intelligent people need a place to vent these endless musings, which is why people-watching is so fascinating to them.
8. Creating personal challenges
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By creating personal challenges, intelligent individuals are taking part in what normal people may consider a cheap thrill; however, because they are incredibly creative and easily bored, this is an activity that keeps them on their toes.
Psychotherapist Imi Lo explained that highly intelligent individuals get bored easily as they fail to connect with others in a meaningful way. This is likely due to not often meeting others who can fill their intellectual needs.
Whether it's waking up late, driving fast, or seeing how many push-ups they can do in five minutes, intelligent people find ways to challenge themselves every day. It may seem excessive to others, but to them, it brings them great satisfaction.
9. Playing luck-based games
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Playing luck-based games — like the lottery, slot machines or even video games, for example — can often leave people feeling overwhelmed and panicked. For intelligent individuals, however, they enjoy taking on a bet for something that's uncertain.
Feeling underestimated and unchallenged, they look for fun in the most unconventional places. As a result, it might mean spending money they don't have, but for them, it's not that far-fetched of a thing to do. In fact, research from the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making found a connection between high IQ and interest in skill-based gambling when selecting gaming options.
10. Obsessing over celebrity culture
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Some people find gossiping to be childish, especially when it comes to speculating about celebrities. But for highly intelligent people, it's a cheap thrill they find incredibly enjoyable. People with exceptional intelligence may fixate on human behavior and spend too much time analyzing it, even if it's about superstars.
Now, while research from BMC Psychology found a link between celebrity worship and lower intelligence, there's something to be said about the way an intelligent person's mind works. They enjoy observing and thinking about the world around them, coming up with constant new ideas, even if they relate to celebrities. And while it's unhealthy to have parasocial relationships with famous people, those with high intelligence are able to separate the two.
11. Collecting things
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Intelligent people may be messy and find inspiration from chaotic environments, meaning they are constantly looking for ways to inspire themselves. That means they may start new hobbies or projects, or even begin collecting items of what they consider to be valuable.
They may collect things like old sweaters, records, or photographs. They may surround themselves with shelves full of books or mugs from every city they've visited. Taking trips to their local thrift store brings them immense joy, as these places offer historical knowledge for the price of a few dollars.
Research from the Journal of Consumer Marketing estimates that 40% of households engage in collecting behavior, but the thrill isn't from finding a good deal. Rather, the thrill is in the stories they carry within themselves and how they can pluck that inspiration whenever they feel like it.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a bachelor's degree in psychology who covers self-help, relationships, career, family, and astrology topics.